Think Twice About Table Scraps​The holidays are right around the corner and while sneaking your pet table scraps or letting them clean the dishes may seem harmless, many holiday foods can actually be harmful to pets. Keep your pet safe and be sure to keep them away from these foods:

Fatty Ham and Pork Products

Turkey Bones

Onions and Garlic

Stuffing

Mashed Potatoes

Raisins and Grapes

Chocolate Desserts

Decking the HallsFestive decorations can add to the holiday spirit but be careful where they are placed as they can be risky temptations for your pet.

Christmas Trees: Trees easily tip over from pets climbing or playing with the lights and ornaments. Do not add aspirin, sugar, or any additives to the water in the base of your tree as these can be toxic.

Holiday Decorations: Tinsel can beenticing but, if consumed, it can cause intestinal blockages and breakable decor can cause injuries.

Electric Lights: Chewing on cords can cause an electric shock and/or burns to the mouth.

Candles: Candles are attractive to pets (especially cats) so never leave a pet alone in an area with a lit candle as it could result in a fire.

Festive Plants: Keep poinsettias, lilies, holly, and mistletoe up and away from pets as they can be toxic if ingested.

Hostess With the MostestBe prepared:

Establish a quiet room or place for your pet to retreat.

Watch the exits when guests are arriving or leaving to ensure pets don't get out.

Clear food from your table and counters.

Make sure the lids on trash bins are secure.

If you think your pet has ingested something poisonous and/or is showing symptoms of illness, contact your veterinarian or one of these helplines:

Thanks to advancements in veterinary care, cats are living longer and healthier lives than ever before. Regular veterinary wellness exams for your senior cat become essential to their health as they age. Wellness exams at Cat Hospital of Portland every 6 months can help detect and treat issues early.

​The most common symptoms to look for in your senior cat are thirst, urination, and changes in appetite or energy. Other symptoms may include:

Changes in sleep patterns

House soiling (“accidents”)

Easily disturbed by loud sounds

Increased barking/meowing

Anxiety or nervousness

Confused or disoriented behavior

Repeating the same actions

More grouchy or irritable than usual

For the month of September, Cat Hospital of Portland is offering 25% off your senior* cat’s wellness exam! Book your pet’s appointment today.

​*Cats 8 years or older. Promotion available for new clients only. Promotional discount expires September 30, 2018. Clients must book an appointment during the month of September to qualify. Discount only applies to Senior Pet Wellness Exam. Cannot be used on other services. Coupon only valid at Cat Hospital of Portland. Cannot be combined with other offers and is not redeemable for cash. Must present coupon at time of appointment.

At Cat Hospital of Portland, we believe wellness check-ups are imperative to the health and happiness of your cat. The AVMA president, Dr. Douglas G. Aspros, said, “the human-animal bond is stronger than ever, but we are very concerned that pets may not be getting the preventive health care they need”. In 2011, 45% of cat owners didn’t take their feline friend for their annual wellness exam.

One of the top reasons why pet owners don’t take their cat to the vet is because they claim it wasn’t injured or sick. Just because a cat does not appear to have any issues, doesn’t mean they are in good health. Cats instinctively hide their illnesses and injuries. There are many benefits when it comes to taking your cat in for their annual wellness exam. Here are a few that are extra crucial:

• The potential for catching a disease in the early stages.• Maintaining your cat’s dental health.• Ensuring your cat is parasite-free.• Preventative care is better than reactive care.

Trips to the vet can cause anxiety for your cat, but regular visits will make going to the vet less stressful for everyone involved. Here are some tips to get your cat ready for their wellness visit:

The cat carrier (crate) is key. Teaching your cat to love their carrier and establishing it as a safe zone to help in times of stress. We also recommend making the crate inviting with a cozy blanket and toy inside.

Train your cat to tolerate being handled. If you start this while they’re a kitten, it will likely be easier. A good place to start is to hold them and gently touch their paws. Ask friends to do the same so that your cat becomes accustomed to interacting with other people.

Practice going on car rides. The car is another place that can cause stress for a cat. You can do this in increments to get your cat used to being in the car. First, just sit in the cat crate in the car. Once your cat becomes comfortable with that, then drive down the street. When driving short distances becomes tolerable, then work your way up to drive longer distances, and then eventually to Cat Hospital of Portland. Rewarding good behavior with cat treats is always a good idea when trying something new with your feline.

Feline pheromone spray can help relax your cat. Spraying it inside the crate, in the car, and on a towel to put on top of the crate can help with the whole process of visiting the vet.

Talk to us! As veterinarians, we understand feline health and behavior. We want your cat’s visit to the veterinarian to be stress-free.

Make sure your cat is in purrrfect health. Receive 20% off your cat’s annual exam during the month of August! Book an appointment with Cat Hospital of Portland today!

*Promotional discount expires August 31, 2018. Clients must book an appointment during the month of August to qualify. Discount valid only on exam. Cannot be used on other services. Coupon only valid at Cat Hospital of Portland. Cannot be combined with other offers and is not redeemable for cash. Must present coupon at time of appointment.

August 15th is Check the Chip Day. Is your cat Microchipped? Is their microchip up to date? Microchipping is a permanent form of identification that could help reunite you and your cat if they were to ever get lost. Less than 2% of lost cats that enter an animal shelter are reunited with their families. But, when those lost cats have a microchip, the rate increases to 38%! Check out more stats about microchipped pets.

Every pet deserves to be found – Book an appointment at Cat Hospital of Portland and receive 20% off microchipping during the month of August! *

*Promotional discount expires August 31, 2018. Clients must book an appointment during the month of August to qualify. Discount does not include Microchipping equipment, just procedure. Cannot be used on other services. Coupon only valid at [Hospital Name, Location]. Cannot be combined with other offers and is not redeemable for cash. Must present coupon at time of appointment.

We’ve partnered with Vetsource to provide you with authentic, quality nutrition, and medication to help you keep your cat healthy and happy!

Have you ever gone to feed your cat and discovered that they’re completely out of their food? Never again! When you shop for your cat’s food and medication on Vetsource, you can have it delivered right to your doorstep, every month. Rest easy knowing your pantry is always stocked, your feline friend will thank you.

During July, when you sign up for the AutoShip program, you’ll receive:

15% off your first order of Royal Canin, as well as all subsequent orders of Royal Canin

Free shipping every month

Access to high-quality food and medications recommended by Veterinarians

Never run out of your pet’s food or medication again. Sign up for AutoShip, today!

There are many types of diets for cats. Dietary needs can differ from cat to cat, depending on whether your cat is highly active or more sedentary, or if your cat is young, middle-aged, or a senior. Generally, cats are carnivores and require high protein, high moisture, low carbohydrate diets. Here are some surprising facts about cat diets:

60% of cats are classified as clinically overweight or obese.

Feeding your cat 10-15 pieces of kibble is the equivalent of one mouse.

A cat on a dry food diet consumes approximately half the amount of water compared to a cat on a canned wet food diet.

The average dry cat food contains 35-50% carbohydrate, while most canned foods contain less than 10% carbohydrates. Therefore, canned diets are the preferred diet over dry.

43% of cat owners buy wet cat food on a weekly basis.

Now you can get your cat’s dietary needs sent to your doorstep every month. Sign up for Autoship today and get free shipping!

​Holiday Fireworks –With the upcoming Fourth of July holiday, it is time to discuss fireworks. Fireworks are very scary for our feline friends. All cats should be kept inside with doors and windows shut to help reduce the sound of the fireworks. Over the counter products such as Feliway can be very beneficial to reduce stress. Feliway is a natural feline pheromone to help make cats feel more comfortable in their home environment. This can be used as a diffuser that is plugged in continuously for 30 days. It can be used starting one week before a known stressful event and continued until the diffuser runs out. A safe and secure cozy environment could be created for your cat by making an enclosed space such as a covered bed that they can hide in. Feliway spray can be used on the bed 1 hour before the event so it is dry. Some cats will benefit from anti-anxiety medication if their reaction is severe enough. Please make an appointment to discuss with us today.

Indoor vs. Outdoor Cats –There are many different opinions regarding indoor vs. outdoor cats. Cats who go outside are more at risk for getting hit by a car, attacked by other animals, and contracting infectious disease. There are ways to make your indoor environment more manageable for the feline who is persistent to go outside. Environmental modification and enrichment can help maintain your cat’s overall happiness. Some ways are to increase vertical space within the home so that your cat can get up high, exercise, and feel safe. This can be accomplished through the use of multiple tall cat towers, wall perches, and wall ramps/tunnels that the cat can climb up. A catio, which is an enclosed outdoor space for cats, is an elegant idea to allow cats access to the outdoors without compromising their safety. There are also fenced in yards with barriers over the top that can keep cats from escaping outside of the yard. Cats can also be trained to walk on a harness.

​​Cat Feng Shui RULE #1 –Litterbox Number. In multi-cat households, one of the best ways to create a peaceful environment is to provide an appropriate litter box set-up. Various factors should be considered, the most important being the number of boxes. As a rule of paw, 1 litterbox per cat + 1 (example: 2 cats = 3 litterboxes). And from a cat’s perspective, multiple litterboxes right next to each other are considered ONE box. Thus, it is also important to have the right number of boxes in various locations.

Cat Feng Shui RULE #2 –Vertical Space. Cats are predators by nature. Thus, cats feel the safest when they can survey their surroundings. This is often best done from a lofty place. Examples include tall six food cat trees, window perches/ledges, shelves designed specifically for cats, top of kitchen cabinets, etc. There should be designated vertical spaces for each cat in the household to prevent stress or competition for the desired vertical spot.

Cat Feng Shui RULE #3 –Scratching. Scratching is a natural behavior for all cats and gives them pleasure. Discouraging scratching with punishment can lead to unwanted behavior such as inappropriate litterbox use or aggression. Cats are not trained well with discipline. It is most effective when undesirable behavior is redirected toward an appropriate object like a scratching post. All cats have a preference for THEIR most desirable scratching surface. Most prefer tall, sturdy vertical surfaces. When I say tall, I mean as tall as your cat can stretch from front paw to back paw. The most common scratching surfaces are carpet, sisal rope or corrugated cardboard. You will have to try them all on for size to determine which your cat prefers. Unfortunately, if you do not provide the right one (size and substrate), they will find their own (often a beautiful couch).